Eskdale, Cumbria
Encyclopedia
Eskdale is a glacial valley
and civil parish in the western Lake District
National Park in Cumbria
, England
. It forms part of the Borough of Copeland, and has a population of 264.
One of the Lake District's most popular tourist attractions, the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
, runs through the valley, though along with other western valleys of the Lake District, Eskdale is notably quieter during the high summer season than the more accessible eastern areas.
flows through the valley to its estuary at Ravenglass
. The valley is notable in being one of few major valleys in the Lake District not to have its own lake, although several tarns
are perched above the valley sides.
The main access to the valley is from the western end; however, there is also a steep pass with a motor road leading out of the valley to the east over Hardknott Pass
, as well as a road with beautiful views leading southwards over Birker Fell
to the village of Ulpha
in the Duddon Valley
.
Alfred Wainwright
in his guide "Walks from Ratty" describes Eskdale as "One of the loveliest of Lakeland's valleys, descends from the highest and wildest mountains in the district to the Sands of Ravenglass in a swift transition from bleak and craggy ridges to verdant woodlands and pastures watered by a charming river." Upper Eskdale is a remote wilderness surrounded by Sca Fell
, Scafell Pike
, Ill Crag
, Esk Pike
, Bow Fell and Crinkle Crags
; the Woolpack walk
takes in this classic horseshoe.
was named after the River Esk in the Scottish Borders, whereas the valley described in this article was located in the former ward of Allerdale Above Derwent which is the present-day local council district of Copeland
.
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
and civil parish in the western Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
National Park in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It forms part of the Borough of Copeland, and has a population of 264.
One of the Lake District's most popular tourist attractions, the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is a minimum gauge heritage railway in Cumbria, England. The line runs from Ravenglass to Dalegarth Station near Boot in the valley of Eskdale, in the Lake District...
, runs through the valley, though along with other western valleys of the Lake District, Eskdale is notably quieter during the high summer season than the more accessible eastern areas.
Topography
The River EskRiver Esk, Cumbria
The River Esk is a river in the Lake District in Cumbria, England. It is one of two River Esks in Cumbria, and not to be confused with the River Esk which flows on the Scottish side of the border....
flows through the valley to its estuary at Ravenglass
Ravenglass
Ravenglass is a small coastal village and natural harbour in Cumbria, England. It is the only coastal town within the Lake District National Park...
. The valley is notable in being one of few major valleys in the Lake District not to have its own lake, although several tarns
Tarn (lake)
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. A moraine may form a natural dam below a tarn. A corrie may be called a cirque.The word is derived from the Old Norse word tjörn meaning pond...
are perched above the valley sides.
The main access to the valley is from the western end; however, there is also a steep pass with a motor road leading out of the valley to the east over Hardknott Pass
Hardknott Pass
Hardknott Pass is a pass that carries a minor road between Eskdale and the Duddon Valley in the region of Cumbria, England, in the Lake District National Park...
, as well as a road with beautiful views leading southwards over Birker Fell
Birker Fell
Birker Fell, also known as Birker Moor, is an upland wilderness area in the western portion of the Lake District National Park, in Cumbria, England. Rather than being formed of one single high peak, the fell is a broad, undulating area, approximately 6 km square, with numerous crags and...
to the village of Ulpha
Ulpha
Ulpha is a small village and civil parish in the Duddon Valley in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. It forms part of the Borough of Copeland. At Ulpha a road leaves the Duddon Valley to cross Birker Fell to the valley of Eskdale...
in the Duddon Valley
Duddon Valley
The Duddon Valley is a valley in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. The River Duddon flows through the valley, rising in the mountains between Eskdale and Langdale, before flowing into the Irish Sea near Broughton in Furness...
.
Alfred Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright MBE was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator. His seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, published between 1955 and 1966 and consisting entirely of reproductions of his manuscript, has become the standard reference work to 214 of the fells of the...
in his guide "Walks from Ratty" describes Eskdale as "One of the loveliest of Lakeland's valleys, descends from the highest and wildest mountains in the district to the Sands of Ravenglass in a swift transition from bleak and craggy ridges to verdant woodlands and pastures watered by a charming river." Upper Eskdale is a remote wilderness surrounded by Sca Fell
Sca Fell
Sca Fell is a mountain in the English Lake District. Its height of 964 metres makes it the second-highest mountain in England after Scafell Pike, from which it is separated by the col of Mickledore....
, Scafell Pike
Scafell Pike
Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England at . It is located in Lake District National Park sometimes confused with the neighbouring Sca Fell, to which it is connected by the col of Mickledore...
, Ill Crag
Ill Crag
Ill Crag is a fell in the English Lake District. By some counts it is the fourth highest peak in England, although many people, including Alfred Wainwright, consider it to be a subsidiary summit of Scafell Pike...
, Esk Pike
Esk Pike
Esk Pike is a fell in the English Lake District, one of the great cirque of hills forming the head of Eskdale.-Topography:The Southern Fells include the highest ground in England, a horseshoe which begins with Scafell and Scafell Pike in the west and then curves around the north of Upper Eskdale to...
, Bow Fell and Crinkle Crags
Crinkle Crags
Crinkle Crags is a fell in the English Lake District in the county of Cumbria. It forms part of two major rings of mountains, surrounding the valleys of Great Langdale and Upper Eskdale. The name reflects the fell's physical appearance as its summit ridge is a series of five rises and depressions ...
; the Woolpack walk
Woolpack walk
The Woolpack Walk is a challenge walk which starts and finishes at the Woolpack Inn, Eskdale in the Lake District of England.. The route covers and takes in of ascent.-Route:The route is generally tackled clockwise, taking in the following summits:...
takes in this classic horseshoe.
Historical districts
The former Eskdale ward of north eastern CumberlandCumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
was named after the River Esk in the Scottish Borders, whereas the valley described in this article was located in the former ward of Allerdale Above Derwent which is the present-day local council district of Copeland
Copeland, Cumbria
Copeland is a local government district and borough in western Cumbria, England. Its council is based in Whitehaven. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Whitehaven, Ennerdale Rural District and Millom Rural District....
.